[WIP] Restock: KSP Part Art Revamp (Released March 06)

Recommended Posts

Looking for something in this thread and I noticed I missed a few questions.

On 12/31/2018 at 6:48 AM, klesh said:

I would encourage you to not skip the Making History parts, as they would be in need of the same kind of love youre giving to these stock parts. To be sure, a stock collection should be done and completed first, but imaging playing the game with MH installed and making MH-parted rockets with half beautiful parts and half stock parts.

MH is what, 35 parts or so? With an average build time of at least 12 hours per part (maybe a fuel tank takes 6 but an engine takes 24). That's about 3 months of one person (realistically me) working full time. I'd do it if someone paid me (maybe even for cheaper than my engineering rates). But I don't get paid and I don't even own MH so...

On 1/4/2019 at 3:28 PM, Kradgger said:

Question about that topic, are you going to reuse the iconic solar panel textures? I think changing that would make the revamped panels collide with NF and, say, Tantares' ones. What's your plan on that. For example, the new batteries look amazing but collide with NF Electrical ones, as they still use very stock battery models and textures (like the hazard stripes on the side). Are you gonna update those to match Restock too? (Which would be amazing)

I wouldn't say they're iconic, more like... just kinda average. Something different will certainly be done.

Collisions with other mods are really only tangential problems. We can't really just target the lowest common denominator of all stock-ish mods with this project - the goal is to move the art forward. This means that yes, I'm aware that there will be some fundamental mismatches with NF for a time. I hope that eventually I get the change to move the wayward NF parts up to this standard - however this is a really long term goal. I would add too that the styles will still match, at least in case of the batteries... the colours and overall look will match alright. They just kinda suck.

On 1/4/2019 at 3:28 PM, Kradgger said:

Also, are you gonna update the MK1 and MK2 inline docking ports? As far as I remember Ven revamped the El Generico MK1 inline port in his now-on-shoddy-life-support pack but treated the MK2 one like Porkjet's work was holy and untouchable and left its docking port hatch to rot in stock hell while the others got the treatment to great effect.

It's lower priority but it should certainly be addressed. We have done something with the mk1 port's external shell, but since then I redid the port itself so that will have to be propagated eventually.

Consistency is *really* important to us, all the artists share palettes, techniques and visual elements to make sure that everything stays aligned.

Edited January 8 by Nertea

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I would encourage you to not skip the Making History parts, as they would be in need of the same kind of love youre giving to these stock parts. To be sure, a stock collection should be done and completed first, but imaging playing the game with MH installed and making MH-parted rockets with half beautiful parts and half stock parts.

most of MH is made redundant by BDB (which also has things like: a properly shaped gemini SM!), though i would love to have some generic 1.875m tanks and those structural panels. Squad might take issue with replacing assets in their paid DLC as well.

Share on other sites

I still think that that sentence is absolutly false.
BDB is different as it is more realistic focused while MH is more kerballised.
However, there's still some kerbalised mods that do stuff better than MH.
So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I still think that that sentence is absolutly false.
BDB is different as it is more realistic focused while MH is more kerballised.
However, there's still some kerbalised mods that do stuff better than MH.
So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

BDB is awesome but I kinda prefer his older style of parts (really loved the Muo lifter set), nowadays it's very detailed and it kinda clashes with the stock parts, but it's still amazing on a BDB-exclusive install.

Same thing happened to me with the HGR pack, it was very stockalike but the bumpmaps (and solar panels) made it look uncanny when mixed with stock parts.

On 1/8/2019 at 2:28 PM, Nertea said:

Consistency is *really* important to us, all the artists share palettes, techniques and visual elements to make sure that everything stays aligned.

I'm very happy to hear that, can't wait to have a the whole roster looking consistent. Bummer about the whole MH thing, but now that I'm finally after years playing a stock, hardcore career game the MH parts stick out like a sore thumb both in style (since they're blatantly real world parts clashing with very kerbalized ones from stock) and more importantly balance, so I'm looking forward to deleting the parts from my install.

Back in the day I couldn't play with Ven's AND other mods because it was so stupidly detailed that everything stockalike clashed too much with said mods, and Ven's pack itself was almost uncanny for the style of the game.

I'm very hyped for the project because it feels kerbal yet polished and, as you pointed out, consistent (more so than the mish-mash of artists that is today's stock). Keep up the good work, I'll see if I can get some RealPlume configs working and matching with it as soon as a fix for the "PartVariant" bug comes out, because it's breaking almost every parts mod I try out.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

BDB... nowadays it's very detailed and it kinda clashes with the stock parts.

23 minutes ago, Kradgger said:

... but now that I'm finally after years playing a stock, hardcore career game the MH parts stick out like a sore thumb both in style (since they're blatantly real world parts clashing with very kerbalized ones from stock) and more importantly balance, so I'm looking forward to deleting the parts from my install.

24 minutes ago, Kradgger said:

Back in the day I couldn't play with Ven's AND other mods because it was so stupidly detailed that everything stockalike clashed too much with said mods, and Ven's pack itself was almost uncanny for the style of the game.

Just clipped a few lines from your post which seem kind of odd... you say that you didn't play with Ven's because it was too detailed and clashed with the stock aesthetic. You wouldn't consider playing with BDB because its too detailed and clashes with the stock aesthetic. You also say that you're looking forward to deleting the stock parts from your install (which by the way, would stop ReStock from working) so that you can play with the new, detailed, high-quality parts that ReStock has to offer.

Do you see the contradiction here? Once you have ReStock installed, a high quality, high level of detail will be your new standard of 'stock' at which you can then set as the bar to also include and play with other mods.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Just clipped a few lines from your post which seem kind of odd... you say that you didn't play with Ven's because it was too detailed and clashed with the stock aesthetic. You wouldn't consider playing with BDB because its too detailed and clashes with the stock aesthetic.

Oh, nono, I meant that Ven's pack was made with a completely different art direction, everything was crisp and detailed. The problems started happening when, for example, he let newer parts (for that time) like the 'private jet style`Mk1 cockpit exist on top of his model, which led to inconsistencies on the visuals and made some builds really uncanny. Plus it wasn't stockalike really, the window colors and solar panels for example differed greatly from Squad's and, say, other mods like NF, MkIV or to a lesser extent Tantares.

About BDB I meant to say that it's a great mod, yet it started to diverge into its own artstyle after a point (see the old Muo vs the new one), which makes it amazing on a separate install in which the whole roster is made up of BDB parts. I've tried and it really feels like a different game, like it's not fully KSP, but a cartoonish NASA game or something. Great stuff.

What's great about ReStock IMO is that it either revives Porkjet's unfinished work, remakes old and forgotten parts like the science stuff into coherent models and improves on Squad designs, all with great consistency on the work (and it all matches Nert's amazing mods to boot!).

Quote

You also say that you're looking forward to deleting the stock parts from your install (which by the way, would stop ReStock from working) so that you can play with the new, detailed, high-quality parts that ReStock has to offer.

Of course, I was referring to MH ones, which Nert pretty much confirmed not to own/have intentions of changing.

2 hours ago, Poodmund said:

Once you have ReStock installed, a high quality, high level of detail will be your new standard of 'stock' at which you can then set as the bar to also include and play with other mods.

If only that damn bug wasn't f***ing up my engines... I was fine with it until 1.6 hit then boom, everything throws up the infamous neverending, RAM eating list of "Variant: Variant Name" BS

Edited January 10 by Kradgger

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

One of our more detailed engines, this one is a collaboration between @riocrokite, who did some crazy modeling, and me, who did the texture work and such. We built primarily off the Porkjet design sheet, basing this on the NK-33, and made sure to include our usual boattail and compact variants. The Restock Mainsail naturally comes with emissive textures and unique engine FX for maximum... fire.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

My jaw dropped seeing all the 2.5m tanks and this engine in its full glory. You actually made the orange variants of the 2.5m tanks consistent and sleek!

IT IS FANTABULOUS

I simply cannot wait for Restock to release. KSP will never look the same again.

Excellent job you guys! I am not kidding, i spent the last 5 minutes just drooling at the engine.

I have a question on the future of the project- Are you going to clean up the Mk2/3/3.75/2.5/1.25 parts? By cleaning up, I mean take a brush and soap and a bucket of water and clean all the stains out? Then repaint the lines? Because it bugs me how worn down they look.

P.S I love the fact that the boat tail juts out to cover the turbo pump! Amazing attention to detail. Can I beg for a release? I wanna beg for a release...

Edited January 11 by Xurkitree

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I have a question on the future of the project- Are you going to clean up the Mk2/3/3.75/2.5/1.25 parts? By cleaning up, I mean take a brush and soap and a bucket of water and clean all the stains out? Then repaint the lines? Because it bugs me how worn down they look.

The airplane parts are fine and will be left alone for the most part, though we are going to try to add normal maps to the ones that lack them. Almost everything else is fair game, priority to things that make me wince when i look at them.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

2nd on the turbopump webbing, looks awesome and love the new FX, always bugged me that it used the same one as everything else, especially when they had the orange rhino effect available.

Any chance of a non-orange version to go with other tanks? I rarely use the orange ones since they always look so out of place on an otherwise white rocket, though if they look this good now I may have to start.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Judging by the slight environment reflections in this picture -- at least some of the new assets appear as if they are using PBR shaders of one sort or another? (is this the stock Specular Mapped shader in use here?)

Work looks awesome (and very much of the quality that I'd expect given the source ), just curious on some of the technical bits, for personal reasons (I have long dreamed of a day when all of the stock parts were using modern shading techniques).

Looking forward to seeing this develop into maturity; I could likely actually use these stock parts without cringing

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Excited to see over 15,000 views on this thread, and growing daily! That represents a HUGE number of people eagerly, yet patiently, checking in for news about this mod which is sure to become the new gold-standard for part packs

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Any chance of a non-orange version to go with other tanks? I rarely use the orange ones since they always look so out of place on an otherwise white rocket, though if they look this good now I may have to start.

Judging by the slight environment reflections in this picture -- at least some of the new assets appear as if they are using PBR shaders of one sort or another? (is this the stock Specular Mapped shader in use here?)

Unfortunately not in this picture - what you see is just painstakingly tuned non-PBR metals. There is use of the newer shader in other places though like gold foil.

On 1/11/2019 at 12:48 PM, Shadowmage said:

﻿ Work looks awesome (and very much of the quality that I'd expect given the source ), just curious on some of the technical bits, for personal reasons (I have long dreamed of a day when all of the stock parts were using modern shading techniques).

Thanks! I hope we'll get to your dream someday. I have developed a fairly efficient procedure for converting my textures to a PBR workflow which is pretty nice, but the implementation of this is not going to happen here. There's really two things holding this back:

The stock implementation is not there yet. As you fully know, especially compared to TU it's woefully incomplete - particularly when it comes to lacking emissive support. This is annoying because windows and polished bell engines are where reflectivity and metalness would really shine (pun intended).

It increases workload considerably - a proper implementation of PBR in KSP definitely involves generation of the proper maps for all the old workflow parts, even the plane stuff which we're hoping to avoid redoing.

If the first gets resolved, I suspect I will have another look at things. Right now we use the metal workflow uniquely for gold and silver foil, and eventually solar panels.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

@Nertea, any plans on adding 'fuel-tank friendly' drone core variants? Kinda like the ones you did for NF Launch Vehicles, where instead of looking like an ugly out of place steel ring it goes smoothly with the tank's outer shell.

On another topic, are you guys going to do anything with the wing segments' pointy tips and leading edges? Smoothing them out or something.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

@Nertea, any plans on adding 'fuel-tank friendly' drone core variants? Kinda like the ones you did for NF Launch Vehicles, where instead of looking like an ugly out of place steel ring it goes smoothly with the tank's outer shell.

Yes, I locked these off yesterday.

4 minutes ago, Kradgger said:

﻿ On another topic, are you guys going to do anything with the wing segments' pointy tips and leading edges? Smoothing them out or something.